Posted on December 1, 2021 by Aaron Johnson
Why Logos Are Imperative for Businesses
A well-designed brand logo is perhaps the most important, most under-rated advertising tool in your marketing strategy. Let me explain. Think about your favorite clothing brand, snack food, or automobile manufacturer. When you see that logo, you feel connected. In many ways, it represents you, defines you, and is something you can stand behind. But it took time, influence, and perhaps a positive customer service experience to establish that connection.
While a good logo design not only looks appealing, professional, or fun, it often signifies something deeper.
A picture is worth a thousand words
People today are inundated with noise from every direction. Because of this, all of our marketing efforts need to be strategized with the realization that we have mere seconds to grab and hold a customer’s attention. How we fill those seconds is more important now than ever.
In 2000, Microsoft conducted a study measuring how long people can maintain focus on a single task over a specified period of time. The results showed the average person’s attention span was 12 seconds. Then, in 2015, Microsoft researchers found that the average attention span decreased from 12 seconds to 8 seconds—1 second shorter than a goldfish’s attention span.
And while there isn’t research readily available to determine the current consumer attention span, it’s clear that it’s on the decline and strongly correlates to the adoption of smart phones and the introduction of the social media network. As marketers, we are constantly trying to scream louder than our competitors to grab the attention of our often-distracted, multi-tasking viewers who are overloaded with content on various platforms.
So what does all this have to do with a logo? A logo in its simplest terms is a graphic element that instantly symbolizes the name and purpose of a brand. And while you may not think that your company needs one, here are four reasons why you should have one.
4 Benefits of a Logo
What is brand identity? Brand identity is what people see; it’s the visual piece of the brand marketing puzzle. A brand identity is the personality, look, and feel your brand presents to the world through visual elements and a consistent message that is communicated over and over again. How you establish your brand identity influences how your brand is perceived by potential customers. And a logo is the first thing a potential customer sees.
A good logo design promotes brand awareness and allows the company to stand out from the competition. It presents the values and mission of the business … all through a simple, memorable visual image. When a customer (or potential customer) sees a company’s logo, it should conjure up the appropriate feelings about the brand, products, or services.
And just as it is for you and your favorite brands, your audience will instantly recognize and associate your logo with your product or service, which helps build customer loyalty and determines how your customers will perceive your brand going forward.
Before a person tries your product or service, they assess your appearance. We all do it, especially now when we are bombarded with content by competing brands and knock-offs. Today’s consumers are in a vulnerable position, exchanging personal and financial information online often with unfamiliar companies. However, a strong logo can help you gain the trust of potential customers who don’t know anything about your business and inspire them to interact. In essence, a logo lets you quickly establish credibility so you can focus on content quality over quantity.
Logos tell a story. Growing up, my family always stopped at McDonald’s when we headed out of town to see family. We piled into the conversion van, got settled in, and made our way to the nearest McDonald’s. We spent the next 30 minutes fighting over the light- and dark-meat chicken nuggets. (Remember when different shapes signified the different type of chicken meat? No? Just me? Okay, I digress.) The fries were hot, salty, and delicious. And my parents would spend 20 minutes at the first rest stop wiping sticky dipping sauce goo off our faces and the door handles and brushing the salt off the seats. Cleaning up the mess left behind by their children was nothing short of an Olympic sport. But I think about those road trips EVERY TIME I see those golden arches. And it’s a tradition we’ve carried on with our children. (Don’t judge.)
That’s the power of a logo. Any experience we have with a brand is brought to the forefront when we see that logo. And positive experiences tend to lead to brand loyalty—a gradual process of choosing one brand over another.
Ultimately, people are driven by their experience with your business or feel a connection to the ideas your brand is promoting. Because of this, creating a logo is an important part of your marketing strategy—no matter how big or how small the size of your company.
Categories
I’ve been working with the team at Social Link for over a year and I could not be happier! Everyone at Social Link is truly on our team and making our future very bright.
Jen Butler
CEO, Jen Butler Partners
We are creative, strategy-driven marketing experts here to help you build your brand while maximizing your business’s potential through multiple platforms.